Published: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 6:02 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 6:02 p.m.

The County Commission has decided to meet Sheriff Chris Blair's resistance to retooling his budget by donning the green eyeshades and combing the sheriff's numbers themselves.

To prevent a massive spike in property tax rates for next year, the board agreed during budget hearings on Wednesday to appoint a task force to conduct a line-by-line review of the Sheriff's Office's 2014 spending plan.

Commissioner Stan McClain will lead the panel, joined by Court Clerk David Ellspermann, County Administrator Lee Niblock and staff members.

Commissioners made the move after Blair defiantly rejected their request to take a second look at his proposed budget to slash a planned $17.4 million increase above the current year's spending.

Besides looking to accomplish what Blair refused to do, the board also began preparing for dealing with the fallout from pursuing this avenue.

Staff briefed commissioners on how to handle a possible appeal by Blair to the governor's office, which he legally can do.

Moreover, the board strategized about conducting a public relations blitz to explain why tax rates are skyrocketing.

During a hearing on Tuesday, as the board was considering how to deal with a possible 28 percent jump in property tax rates created by Blair's proposed spending plan, Blair maintained that he needed every dime to reverse the agency's decline that he says he inherited from his predecessor, Ed Dean.

Under Blair's proposal, funding for the Sheriff's Office would increase from $67.1 million to $84.5 million, the highest the agency has ever had.

County staff reiterated on Wednesday that the bump is actually higher by another $2.1 million, making it nearly $20 million.

That was Blair's share for the operation of the emergency communications center, which was excluded from his initial spending plan.

Commissioners rejected the budget because they have vowed to keep property tax rates constant in fiscal year 2014, which begins on Oct. 1.

Blair's fiscal spike is the key factor in increasing the main property tax rate paid by all landowners in Marion from $3.89 per $1,000 of taxable value to $4.98 per $1,000.

Property owners in unincorporated Marion would see an additional 48 percent hike, since Blair's budget increases the levy within the special tax district that funds the Sheriff's Office's patrol and investigative operations from $2.81 per $1,000 to $4.16 per $1,000.

Commissioners on Wednesday said they hoped Blair would reconsider.

"I think all of us are in favor of working with the sheriff to resolve this situation," Chairwoman Kathy Bryant told her colleagues.

Yet the consensus among the commission was that if Blair did not relent, the board needed to be ready to justify the changes in the sheriff's budget to two separate audiences.

One of those would be Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet. Florida law grants county sheriffs the ability to take their case for budget issues to the governor and Cabinet, which sit as a panel called the Administration Commission.

State law says a county commission may formally amend the sheriff's budget at the annual public hearings held to adopt the property tax rates for the coming fiscal year.

Those hearings are scheduled in September.

The board must then notify the sheriff in writing of the specific changes.

At that point, the law allows the sheriff 30 days to appeal to the Administration Commission.

The process calls for the governor's executive staff to vet both the sheriff's proposed budget and the final product assembled by the County Commission, which has five days after the appeal is filed to submit its explanation for the changes.

The governor's staff then makes recommendations. The Administration Commission then has a month to review the suggestions and decide to adopt either of the proposed budgets, or make changes as it sees fit.

The panel's decision becomes the final spending plan.

County Attorney Guy Minter told the board that, based on discussions he had with a counterpart in Alachua County, the process could run into next spring.

That presented a different problem for the County Commission relative to its other audience in this situation: the public.

In early August, the county will mail out notices to taxpayers that indicate the tentative property tax rate set by the commission.

Minter explained that, barring a resolution to the budget standoff with the sheriff, the notices will most likely reflect the significantly higher tax rates.

That did not sit well with the board, since the notices will be issued by the County Commission and will not explain in detail why rates went up.

"When the citizens get those ... notices, it's not going to be pretty," Bryant said. "Most of them are not going to understand why they are getting those large increases."

To better inform the public about the higher rates, commissioners suggested adding a statement — bolded and in red ink — to the back of the envelope with the notices steering people to the county's website to learn more details about tax rates.

They also planned to host town hall meetings in each commissioner's district to explain the changes, as well as setting up meetings with political groups, civic organizations and homeowners associations to provide greater details.

Commissioners already took one step to cutting Blair's budget. The board agreed on Wednesday to cut four proposed dispatcher jobs in the public safety communications center, saving at least $150,000.

Blair had wanted to undo Dean's longtime method of using "silent dispatch" on service calls, meaning the dispatchers issued the calls via computer and not by radio.

The process started last week, and Blair believed it increased deputy safety by letting all officers know which calls were being handled.

Public Safety Communications Director Karl Oltz told the board that while some veteran deputies preferred the switch, most deputies still opted to use the radio anyway to let other know they were en route to the complaint.

<p>The County Commission has decided to meet Sheriff Chris Blair's resistance to retooling his budget by donning the green eyeshades and combing the sheriff's numbers themselves.</p><p>To prevent a massive spike in property tax rates for next year, the board agreed during budget hearings on Wednesday to appoint a task force to conduct a line-by-line review of the Sheriff's Office's 2014 spending plan.</p><p>Commissioner Stan McClain will lead the panel, joined by Court Clerk David Ellspermann, County Administrator Lee Niblock and staff members.</p><p>Commissioners made the move after Blair defiantly rejected their request to take a second look at his proposed budget to slash a planned $17.4 million increase above the current year's spending.</p><p>Besides looking to accomplish what Blair refused to do, the board also began preparing for dealing with the fallout from pursuing this avenue.</p><p>Staff briefed commissioners on how to handle a possible appeal by Blair to the governor's office, which he legally can do.</p><p>Moreover, the board strategized about conducting a public relations blitz to explain why tax rates are skyrocketing.</p><p>During a hearing on Tuesday, as the board was considering how to deal with a possible 28 percent jump in property tax rates created by Blair's proposed spending plan, Blair maintained that he needed every dime to reverse the agency's decline that he says he inherited from his predecessor, Ed Dean.</p><p>Under Blair's proposal, funding for the Sheriff's Office would increase from $67.1 million to $84.5 million, the highest the agency has ever had.</p><p>County staff reiterated on Wednesday that the bump is actually higher by another $2.1 million, making it nearly $20 million.</p><p>That was Blair's share for the operation of the emergency communications center, which was excluded from his initial spending plan.</p><p>Commissioners rejected the budget because they have vowed to keep property tax rates constant in fiscal year 2014, which begins on Oct. 1.</p><p>Blair's fiscal spike is the key factor in increasing the main property tax rate paid by all landowners in Marion from $3.89 per $1,000 of taxable value to $4.98 per $1,000.</p><p>Property owners in unincorporated Marion would see an additional 48 percent hike, since Blair's budget increases the levy within the special tax district that funds the Sheriff's Office's patrol and investigative operations from $2.81 per $1,000 to $4.16 per $1,000.</p><p>Commissioners on Wednesday said they hoped Blair would reconsider.</p><p>"I think all of us are in favor of working with the sheriff to resolve this situation," Chairwoman Kathy Bryant told her colleagues.</p><p>Yet the consensus among the commission was that if Blair did not relent, the board needed to be ready to justify the changes in the sheriff's budget to two separate audiences.</p><p>One of those would be Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet. Florida law grants county sheriffs the ability to take their case for budget issues to the governor and Cabinet, which sit as a panel called the Administration Commission.</p><p>State law says a county commission may formally amend the sheriff's budget at the annual public hearings held to adopt the property tax rates for the coming fiscal year.</p><p>Those hearings are scheduled in September.</p><p>The board must then notify the sheriff in writing of the specific changes.</p><p>At that point, the law allows the sheriff 30 days to appeal to the Administration Commission.</p><p>The process calls for the governor's executive staff to vet both the sheriff's proposed budget and the final product assembled by the County Commission, which has five days after the appeal is filed to submit its explanation for the changes.</p><p>The governor's staff then makes recommendations. The Administration Commission then has a month to review the suggestions and decide to adopt either of the proposed budgets, or make changes as it sees fit.</p><p>The panel's decision becomes the final spending plan.</p><p>County Attorney Guy Minter told the board that, based on discussions he had with a counterpart in Alachua County, the process could run into next spring.</p><p>That presented a different problem for the County Commission relative to its other audience in this situation: the public.</p><p>In early August, the county will mail out notices to taxpayers that indicate the tentative property tax rate set by the commission.</p><p>Minter explained that, barring a resolution to the budget standoff with the sheriff, the notices will most likely reflect the significantly higher tax rates.</p><p>That did not sit well with the board, since the notices will be issued by the County Commission and will not explain in detail why rates went up.</p><p>"When the citizens get those ... notices, it's not going to be pretty," Bryant said. "Most of them are not going to understand why they are getting those large increases."</p><p>To better inform the public about the higher rates, commissioners suggested adding a statement — bolded and in red ink — to the back of the envelope with the notices steering people to the county's website to learn more details about tax rates.</p><p>They also planned to host town hall meetings in each commissioner's district to explain the changes, as well as setting up meetings with political groups, civic organizations and homeowners associations to provide greater details.</p><p>Commissioners already took one step to cutting Blair's budget. The board agreed on Wednesday to cut four proposed dispatcher jobs in the public safety communications center, saving at least $150,000.</p><p>Blair had wanted to undo Dean's longtime method of using "silent dispatch" on service calls, meaning the dispatchers issued the calls via computer and not by radio.</p><p>The process started last week, and Blair believed it increased deputy safety by letting all officers know which calls were being handled.</p><p>Public Safety Communications Director Karl Oltz told the board that while some veteran deputies preferred the switch, most deputies still opted to use the radio anyway to let other know they were en route to the complaint.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>